Eric Winston

Eric Joseph Winston (born November 17, 1983) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played in college at the University of Miami and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Winston has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. He was the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020.

Not to be confused with Eric Winstone.

Eric Winston
refer to caption
Winston with the Bengals in 2017
No. 73, 74
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1983-11-17) November 17, 1983
Midland, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:Lee (Midland, Texas)
College:Miami (FL)
NFL Draft:2006 / Round: 3 / Pick: 66
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Games played:165
Games started:127
Player stats at NFL.com

Early years

Winston played high school football at Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas, where he was ranked amongst the most talented high school tight ends in the country. He played alongside fellow NFL running back Cedric Benson, and the two helped the Rebels win three straight Texas 5A state championships.[1]

College career

Winston chose to attend college at the University of Miami after being heavily recruited by several other schools. At Miami, Winston majored in International Finance and Marketing and played offensive tackle. He initially was set to play tight end for the Hurricanes, but made the switch before his sophomore year. Winston was widely considered one of the best offensive tackles to enter the 2006 NFL Draft. However, an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his junior year made his draft stock drop, and several draft scouting organizations expressed slight worry over the possible implications of the injury and subsequent surgery on his play.

Winston was also a standout student, graduating in three years with a GPA above 3.5, and he was a 2005 All-America selection. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 6+5⁄8 in
(2.00 m)		 310 lb
(141 kg)		 32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m)		 9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		4.96 s1.67 s2.82 s4.44 s7.47 s29.0 in
(0.74 m)		9 ft 0 in
(2.74 m)		22 reps
All values from NFL Combine, except bench from Pro Day[2][3]

Houston Texans

Winston was selected in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft.[4] He started the final seven games as a rookie at right tackle in 2006 and proceeded to start 87 games for them until 2011.[5] He signed a contract extension prior to the 2008 season. The Texans released him on March 12, 2012.

Kansas City Chiefs

Winston signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 17, 2012. On October 7, 2012, Winston spoke out about Kansas City Chiefs fans, who he thought were cheering an injury to quarterback Matt Cassel. No video evidence has ever been produced to support Winston's claim. In a post game interview, he claimed "this isn't the Roman Colosseum" and "it is hard economic times". He mentioned that he came to the understanding he probably won't live as long because he plays this game, but cheering over a player getting knocked out is "100% sickening".[6] He was released by the Chiefs on March 7, 2013.

Arizona Cardinals
Winston with the Arizona Cardinals, 2013

Winston signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on July 25, 2013.[7]

Seattle Seahawks

Winston signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks on July 29, 2014.[8] Winston failed to make the final 53-man roster, and was released on August 30, 2014.

Cincinnati Bengals

Winston signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on December 2, 2014.[9]

On March 9, 2016, the Bengals re-signed Winston to a one-year, $1.09 million contract.[10]

On March 10, 2017, the Bengals re-signed Winston to his third consecutive one-year contract.[11] He was released on September 2, 2017.[12] He was re-signed by the Bengals on November 8, 2017.[13]

NFL Players Association

In March 2014, Winston was elected president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), succeeding Domonique Foxworth.[14] Prior to being elected president, Winston had been involved with the NFLPA in other capacities, including being elected as a co-alternate NFLPA representative for the Houston Texans in 2010 and serving on committees for agent discipline and finance.[15][16][17] He was also vocal during the 2011 NFL lockout.[16] Winston has stated that his first priorities for his presidency will be player health and safety, financial literacy, and workplace conditions, especially in the locker room.[18] He was succeeded by J. C. Tretter in March 2020.

Personal life

Winston is married,[19] and has three daughters and one son.[20] He also does volunteer work for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.[17]

References
  1. "Player Bio: Eric Winston - University of Miami Hurricanes Official Athletic Site". www.hurricanesports.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014.
  2. "Eric Winston Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  3. "Eric Winston, Miami (FL), OT, 2006 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  4. "2006 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  5. "Player - Houston Texans". Archived from the original on September 7, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  6. "KC Chiefs Eric Winston Rips Fans' Cheering QB Injury". ABC. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  7. "Cardinals Get Eric Winston, John Abraham". Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  8. "Eric Winston signs with Seattle Seahawks". NFL.com.
  9. "Cincinnati Bengals sign NFLPA president Eric Winston". NFL.com.
  10. Harvey, Coley (March 9, 2016). "Source: Bengals re-sign OT Eric Winston, maintain depth on line". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  11. Alper, Josh (March 10, 2017). "Eric Winston back to Bengals on one-year deal". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com.
  12. Toback, Rebecca (September 2, 2017). "NFL roster cuts 2017: Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster". CincyJungle.com.
  13. Hobson, Geoff (November 8, 2017). "Winston returns with Fisher sidelined for season". Bengals.com.
  14. Josh Katzowitz (March 19, 2014). "NFLPA elects new president Eric Winston". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  15. Tom Pelissero (March 19, 2014). "Eric Winston elected president of NFL Players Association". USA TODAY Sports. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  16. "Eric Winston elected NFLPA president". Miami Herald. March 19, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  17. "Veteran tackle Winston elected NFLPA president". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. March 19, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  18. Josh Weinfuss (April 11, 2014). "Winston draws praise as NFLPA president". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  19. Jenny Winston diary: Visiting West Texas
  20. "Sean Payton's suspension the talk of the NFL owners meetings - Peter King - SI.com". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
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